A visit to meet Carey Price in Montreal lived up to the hype and then some for 11-year-old Marie Sharpe elementary student Jayden Fuller-Bouwman.
Jayden was one of four students chosen for an all-expense-paid trip late last month to meet the NHL star netminder, formerly of Anahim Lake, through the Breakfast Club of Canada’s Shooting for the Stars program, which helps Jayden’s school by providing nutritious breakfasts to students who might not otherwise start their day with the vital meal.
Jayden has helped out with the program in the past, and is a great role model for students at the school, said his principal, Calvin Dubray, of him being chosen.
“It was totally awesome,” Jayden told the Tribune. “We actually got to skate with Carey Price, and I even scored a few goals on him.”
While in Montreal the group was also afforded the chance to go watch the Montreal Canadiens take on the Colorado Avalanche — all from the perch of a box seat — where Montreal, with Price between the pipes, won 4-2.
Following the meet, skate and greet with Price, Jayden said the group got the chance to sit down and ask some questions.
“We got to ask Carey questions like: How’d you become such a great goalie? You know what he said? He said you need commitment, determination, physical skills and mental skills.”
What stood out most to Jayden was how nice Price was, and he said his favourite part of the trip was getting to skate on the ice with Price.
“I was intimidated at first but he was really, really nice,” Jayden said. “Some of my friends there were asking him things like: What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done? And things like that.
“His [Carey’s] wife, Angela, was really nice, too.”
Also while in Montreal, the group got a chance to do some sightseeing. Jayden even got to sign the Golden Book of Montreal and meet the city’s mayor.
Now that he’s back home, however, Jayden — who plays floor hockey regularly at his school — said he’s more determined than ever to become a great goaltender.
“I’m just going to practice as much as I can,” he said, noting he served as the goalie for his floor hockey team as soon as he got back to Williams Lake because he was so inspired by Carey Price.
“I think it was a great opportunity and I’m thankful I had the chance to do it.”
